Scarlett Johansson's The Outset Winds Down Operations

Scarlett Johansson's clean skincare brand The Outset announced it is closing after four and a half years, becoming the latest celebrity beauty line to shut down.

Scarlett Johansson's 'clean' skincare line The Outset announced on Monday that it is winding down operations. According to The Cut, a message on the brand's website read: 'After an incredible journey, The Outset has made the decision to wind down operations. We're so grateful to everyone who welcomed us into their routines and supported us along the way.' BeautyNewsDaily reports that online shopping on theoutset.com has already been switched off, though existing orders will still be fulfilled. The brand, launched in 2022 by Johansson and business partner Kate Foster Lengyel, began with a stripped-back five-product routine before expanding and landing retail partners including Sephora, Amazon, QVC, and Nordstrom. No reason for the closure has been shared.

The closure stands out because The Outset was not a widely mocked vanity project. The Cut's editors, the outlet notes, 'surprisingly liked' the line — a rarity in a celebrity beauty market the publication jokes includes 'approximately 9,000' brands. Page Six's commerce team reports genuine buzz among beauty editors about the gentle efficacy of the Total Clarity Dark Spot Serum, with one editor saying it prompted unsolicited 'your skin is glowing' comments, and a fan favorite Lip Oasis Glossy Treatment still being shopped before it disappears. The Cut's own coverage of the brand's launch quoted Johansson describing its clean-beauty approach as 'products that are transparent and can be used by as many people as possible.' That an editor-approved, accessible-priced line could not survive signals how brutal the category has become.

According to WWD, The Outset's shutdown — roughly four and a half years after its March 2022 debut — follows a string of recent celebrity beauty closures. WWD reports that in February, Gwen Stefani's Gxve Beauty, also a 2022 launch that briefly sold at Sephora, ceased operations; in 2025, Kate Moss's Cosmoss entered liquidation proceedings; and Drew Barrymore's Flower Beauty shuttered after nearly 13 years. Meanwhile, Page Six notes fans are rushing to stock up, listing bestsellers like the $68 Total Clarity Dark Spot Serum, the $28 Lip Oasis Glossy Treatment, and the $38 Botanical Barrier Rescue Balm still available at Nordstrom and Amazon. The brand's Instagram, Page Six reports, is filling with disappointed devotees, one writing 'Don't close down, please.'

WWD's industry sources frame the closure as part of a bigger shift. Circana's Larissa Jensen told the outlet that 'efficacy is going to win the game,' while Manola Soler of Alvarez & Marsal said celebrity now 'serves more as an acquisition advantage and no longer a full business model' — a famous founder can generate trial overnight but 'cannot guarantee a second or third purchase.' The numbers back the interpretation WWD presents: celebrity brands make up only about 5 percent of U.S. prestige fragrance sales and roughly 1 percent per category in hair, makeup, and skincare, per Circana data cited by WWD. The winners — Rhode, Rare Beauty, Haus Labs, Cécred — grew through repeat-purchase products, not fame alone.

The contrast WWD draws is stark. Rare Beauty reportedly hit $400 million in net sales in 2025; Rhode was acquired by E.l.f. Beauty in a $1 billion deal and has broken launch records at Sephora; Cécred's Restoring Hair & Edge Drops reportedly sell every 16 seconds. Industry voices quoted by WWD — including former Kylie Cosmetics CEO Andrew Stanleick — agree the product has to deliver and founders must be genuinely involved over time. Soler's test for readers: 'Would people still buy these products if the celebrity name came off the label tomorrow?' By that measure, The Cut's fondness for The Outset suggests it wasn't a hollow brand — it was simply outcompeted by giants with bigger marketing machines.

For devotees, the window is closing fast: Page Six reports the full Lip Oasis range is still at Nordstrom while only three shades remain on Amazon, and recommends grabbing bestsellers before they are gone for good. The Cut speculates Johansson's next move could be 'leggings, cookbooks, or baby wipes' — entrepreneurial territory it notes is never short of opportunities for celebrities. Meanwhile the category keeps churning: WWD reports Madison Beer, Lindsay Lohan, and Tate McRae have all teased new beauty ventures, following Megan Thee Stallion's July fragrance launch with Coty. Expect a higher bar for new entrants, as Soler told WWD, with consumers holding existing brands to ever-tougher standards.